Bryan Pearsall (Photo/Penn Athletics)PHILADELPHIA -- Bryan Pearsall has been elevated to Head Assistant Coach of the University of Pennsylvania wrestling team, head coach Roger Reina announced today.
"This is a great day for Penn Wrestling," said Reina. "Our program continues to gain momentum, and positioning talented staff is a top priority. This past summer, one of the first things I did when I became head coach was identify Bryan as someone I wanted as part of our coaching staff. He was a talented wrestler in both folkstyle and freestyle and had quickly established himself as one of the bright young coaching minds in NCAA Division I wrestling. Over this past season, our entire program has benefited from his skills and it was evident that Bryan was the right man at the right time to be named head assistant coach."
Pearsall, a Penn State graduate and a member of three NCAA championship teams with the Nittany Lions, was a four-year starter in State College while also competing in freestyle for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Upon graduation, he began his coaching career at Rutgers before spending the 2014-15 through 2016-17 seasons at Army West Point.
"I would like to thank Roger Reina and Matt Valenti for their belief in my ability to perform in this new role," said Pearsall. "The trust we have developed within each other in just one season of working together is something I deeply value. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with such great leaders who have invested so much towards the success of this program. I have 100-percent faith in the direction of Penn Wrestling. This is the very best combination of premier academics, Division I wrestling, and elite Olympic Regional Training Center in the country. This program has produced Olympic and NCAA champions, EIWA champions, Ivy League champions, along with a host of freestyle and Greco roman All-Americans and national champions over its 110-plus years of competition. We currently have the right leadership in place to ensure that we not only live up to those expectations, but exceed all that was previously accomplished."
Pearsall has worked alongside Reina and the Penn coaching staff to produce one of the most highly-regarded recruiting classes in the country. Through just the Early Decision process, Penn has added three Top-100 wrestlers - two of whom are ranked inside the Top-40 - and four wrestlers ranked inside the Top-20 at their respective weight. In addition, Penn's incoming group has excelled in the Olympic styles with a three-time Fargo champion, multiple Fargo All-Americans and a U.S. Cadet World Team member among the nine grapplers already admitted to Penn in the Class of 2022.
In addition to his work with the Quakers, Pearsall serves as a coach with the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center and is head coach of the Pennsylvania Cadet Freestyle Team at Fargo.
"Our program is extremely invested in the International Styles," said Pearsall. "The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center along with my role coaching the PAWF have allowed me the opportunity to give back to the Pennsylvania wrestling community, which is greatly rewarding for me given that I have come full circle."
Pearsall and the Quakers will compete in the 2018 EIWA Championships at Hofstra March 3-4 before competing at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland March 15-17.
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